Filing cabinet



Oct. 12, 1937. A. R. WIGELAND ET AL FILING CABINET Filed Aug. 15. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 12, 1937. A. R. WIGELAND ET AL FILING CABINET Filed Aug. 13, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES FILING CABINET Amund Ragnvald Wigeland and Aksel Ottar .Tandberg, Oslo, Norway Application August 13,

1935, M1 No. 36,034

In Norway September 5, 1934 ICIaim.

The present invention relates to improvements in filing cabinets or similar cases or units provided with drawers, of the type which are manufactured from sheets of pasteboard, cardboard or by the user without need of any tool for the assembling operation.

Other features of the inventionwill be apparent from the following description and the drawings which illustrate, by way of example, an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet cut to proper shape for the formation therefrom of a case.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a sheet cut to proper shape for the formation therefrom of a drawer.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a connecting strip and Figure 4 is a similar view of another strip.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 8 through a case with the drawer therein.

Figure 6 illustrates a construction detail in perspective view.

Figure '7 is a sectional view of a modification showing a drawer guide strip in a lower corner of the case.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 5 through the case and the draw- Figure 9 is a perspective view of the case with the drawer inserted partly therein.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings the the same illustrates a plan view of a sheet cut to the desired shape for formation of a case. I indicates the bottom or base portion and 2 are portions from which the inner side walls of the case are formed. The portion 3 is to form the rear end wall, which is connected to the top or roof portion 4, the latter having at each side a portion 5, which portions are to form the outer side walls of the case respectively. At its sides the end portion 3 is provided with portions or flaps 3' adapted to be bent or folded over, and in similar manner the rear ends of the outer side wall portions 5 have portions or flaps 5' adapted to be bent over. By means of said bent-over flaps 3' and 5' the end portion 3 and the side portions 5 may be interconnected at the case corners in a manner further to be described below. Said side portions 5 and the top portion 4 are also each provided with flaps 5" and 4 respectively adapted to be bent over. The sheet is subdivided by means of weakening lines a, which indicate how the several portions are to be folded and also facilitate this operation.

The assembly of the case takes place in the following manner: A connection strip 6 (Figure 3) of mainly U-shaped cross section (see Figure 5) is made use of. One of the flanges of said strip is folded over itself towards the bight of the U, as clearly shown in section in Figure 5. After the flaps 4 and 5" having been folded over, a U-strip 6 is pushed over and along the right edge of the sheet when in flat condition (Figure 1') so as to embrace said edge and flaps 4 and 5" as shown-with regard to the flaps 5"in section at the left of Figure 5.

At each end the strip 6 is provided with projections 1, which are folded over after the strip 6 has been placed in position as described. Said projections then prevent the strip from being displaced in a lengthwise direction from its correct position and they also serve to properly secure said strip to another strip as will be described below.

When the strip 6 has been so placed the portion thereof embracing the flaps 5" are, together with the side walls 5, bent upwardly at right angles to the sheet portion 4. To make this possible suitable mortises 6' are provided in the strip 6.

Then the inner side walls 2 are bent upwardly at right angles to the base portion I, and along the front edge of said portion I is placed a strip 8 (Figure 4) which is of U-shaped'cross section (see Figure 8) and has its opposite ends 9 bent at right angles to provide lugs or flanges 9.

Then the sheet is so folded along the proper lines a. that the top 4 is situated above the base I, the side walls 5 being placed outside of the side walls 2. The latter have, at their rear ends, each a flap 2', which flaps are bent inwardly and rest against the end wall 3, as shown in Figure 5.

Now the inner side walls 2 are bent inwardly and downwardly towards the base I, and the base I is pushed somewhat to the rear so that the angle lugs 9 of the strip 8 may be inserted between the walls 5 and the adjacent inwardly bent branch of the U-strip 6, as will be understood from Figures 5 and 6. Then the side walls 2 are again swung to vertical position. The flaps 3' and 5' of the end wall 3 and the side walls 5 respectively are now folded over in unison, and securing strips in, having a cross section mainly corresponding to that of the strip 6, are placed over said flaps as illustrated in Figure 5, and will, when in position, prevent the strip 8 and its angle lugs 9 from becoming displaced.

The case thus formed will have great strength and rigidness and the lugs I and 9 act in an interlocking manner, as will be readily understoodr Figure 2 is a view of a sheet used for formation of. the drawer. ll indicates the base portion, l2 the side walls, l3 the rear end wall and I4 the front end wall. Each side wall I2 is provided with flaps l2 and I2" and the rear end wall IS with flaps l3. The front edges of the side walls l2 are provided with inturnable flanges l5 and the front end wall H with a flange I 4'.

The flaps l2" are turned over and strips l6 of a U-shape cross section similar to that of the strip 6, are placed thereon (Figures 8 and 9). Then the side walls l2 are bent at right'angles to the base H, and the flanges l5 are turned inwardly, parallel to the end wall .l4 and the flap IS, in flush with the latter, as shown in Figures 5 and 8. The drawer end thus formed is provided with a covering layer of rigid material II, preferably of metal, the top portion I8 of which is bent over the members II and I4, and the lower end and sides of which are provided with flanges 20 and I9 respectively. The end member H, the flanges l5 and the covering wall I! are provided with openings or slots 2| which correspond when the drawer has been assembled. A plate 23, which if desired is provided with an opening 23', has flanges 22 extending through said slots 22, the inner ends of said flanges being folded to form channels 24 which extend from the inner side of the drawer front end and receive a locking plate 25 (Figures 5 and 8) the edges of which are pushed or pressed into said channels 24.

In the opening 23' a card or the like may be inserted to indicate the contents of the drawer. The plate 23 may also, if desired, be provided with a projection 23" serving as a handle for the drawer.

At last the rear end wall I3 is swung upwardly and the flaps l2 and l3 are folded over in unison and secured together by means of strips 26 of the same type as the strips l0.

Due to the shape and arrangement ofthe parts I described above the case and the drawer may be easily and rapidly mounted, and when so mounted they possess the necessary rigidness.

The construction of the cabinet also makes it possible to stack cases in vertical rows and interconnect the cases so stacked in a simple manner. For this interconnection of cases a strip 21 is made use of, which is shown in cross section in Figure 8, and is of a length corresponding to the distance between the vertical portions of the strip 6. Said strip 21 is mainly of U-shape, one flange thereof being bent towards the other flange of the U, as shown at 28 in Figure 8. This strip is passed along the horizontal portion of the strip 6 so as to embrace the same and also the strip 8 of the case above. As the strip 8 enters the strip 21.the latter is thereby raised so much that theflange 28 grips behind the strip 6 and is thereby locked to the same. For the rear corners of the cases are used strips l0 common to two or more stacked cases, which are thus firmly interconnected.

In order to provide for a sliding surface for the drawer, a strip 29 having the cross section shown in Figure 7 may be arranged in the case along both sides thereof. The height of the wall 2 is, in such case, out down as shown, so that it may be inserted in one of the channels of the S-shaped portion of the strip 29, the other channel of said s serving to receive the lower edge of the wall 5. From said S-shaped portion extends a flange 30 horizontally so as to rest against the base I and form a sliding surface for the drawer.

As will be understood the connection strip described can be used for the preparation of cases of any shape and for any purposes.

We claim:

Incombination a stack of file cases each comprising a shell with an open end to receive a drawer, said shell being'formed from a sheet of cardboard or the like cut to shape and folded, foldable flaps along the edges of said folded sheet, connecting strips, having a length corresponding to the total height of the stacked cases, thread over and embracing the adjoining folded flaps of the end and side walls, said strips being of general U-shape in cross section enclosing a bight and spaced flanges, the end of one of. the flanges being folded towards the other flange and toward the bight, and other strips interconnecting the top of one case to adjacent bottom of the case stacked thereupon.

AMUND RAGNVALD WIGELAND. AKSEL O'I'IAR TANDBERG. 

